Zack's been taking
picture of strange appearances of mirrors and though I want to
believe there’s a mystery there I don't know, but when Snow said
that this thing isn't trash I gave it to him. After he got his
confidence up he found a mirror in his dad’s workshop and then Maki
snow and Noah took us to a special park that Noah says is infrared??
That’s like a color right?

Oh yeah, Noah’s a
teddy bear or “Plushkin” I suppose, there special android robotic
pets I think, I still think this is just some VR game but… these
are starting to feel realer all the time!..

How to fix a broken painting. Let’s take a bead, mix it with
hope and sing at the parade, make believe the dreams are real and
life will always be the same!”

Chapter
14: “The cleaned canvas.” Thursday. W2D3

Previously

“Well that’s cool”
Mr. Hopscotch said and then asked, “Ever seen “Micky Rabbit”?

“But
maybe they’re right, I never knew how much it hurts to have a
soul.”

“That’s
nonsense Pookbear.”

*Beep. Beep. Beep.
Ping.* Luke's phone said and woke him up with a new message.

Noah

Rise
in shine tall boy! I got a suprise for you.

Luke looked out his
window, and didn't see anything, so he got ready for school and
thought, ‘I wonder if they have a mirror that walks through
walls.’ then went out of his room and realized, ‘But then,
I don't know where Snow’s room is anyways.’

***

As the sun shone light
through clouds that Thursday morning, Luke went out on the porch to
meet Snow and Noah on the porch swing and noticed a shining, snowy
white, cloth lean over the railing.

“So did you get my
message?” Noah asked then waved and said sadly, “You didn't
respond…”

“I’m sorry,” Luke
answered as Noah started to turn away, “I thought that if you
needed something you would have… I’m sorry,“ Then Luke got out
his phone and sent a response.

“Sorry I took so
long, good morning yourself! Would you like to go to school with me
again today?”

Snow’s phone beeped
and he gave it to Noah, soon a bright smile went over her and she
pressed a button and said, “Of course,”

Luke's phone buzzed and
he got a message.

“8)!
Of course”

Noah moved to the side
to show Luke the bright white canvas that hung over the porch railing
and told him, “Anna tried to clean it here, but we didn't have the
right cleaners so she had to go home, and after making Josie’s
house a little smelly, so she dropped it off here.” Noah smiled
brightly, then hopped up on the swing with Snow and tried to make it
move.

As Snow moved the
swing, he said, “She has loads of filters and stuff anyways.”

Luke smiled at Noah,
and then studied the canvas in awe, and accidently pushed his thumb
inside as he held onto the edges, then asked, “So Annabella really
did clean all that paint and stuff off last night?” Luke carefully
held the canvas up and tried to fold it, then with a grin, told Noah,
“Hmm, I guess she really is trustworthy and super quick too!”

“I told you!” Noah
exclaimed, “And it really works too, but we should probably wait
till we can show her nephew together with you before we try it out.”
then paused, “Right?”

“Hmm.” Luke smiled
at the canvas that he held, then nodded, “That would probably be
best.”

When Luke noticed that
Noah couldn’t get a grip on his backpack zipper, he opened it for
her, then as she made space to climb in, asked her, “But you didn't
see where it goes?” as Luke thought slightly about what Maki said,
“These can go to dangerous places.”

“No!” Noah
exclaimed, “What would be the fun in that?”

Snow quietly spoke up
as he stopped the swing and started to get out, “It looks
relatively safe.”

“Yeah,” Noah stuck
her tongue out at Snow, “I know you poked your head in saying, “We
can’t let them get hurt” or something like that.” then blew him
a raspberry.

‘I didn't even
know you had a tongue.’ Luke thought as the group walked down
the walkway and to the end of Gaile St.

***

“Hey,” Zack said as
he saw Luke at school.

Noah poked her head
over Luke’s shoulder with a bright smile and exclaimed, “Guess
what!” Then pushed the opening in Luke’s backpack wider to pull
out the folded cloth.

“What?” Zack asked,
then realized what Noah was pulling out asked, “Did Annabella
actually get this cleaned?”

“Yeah,” Luke
started to say as Noah finished pulling it out and hopped down on the
floor,

Holding up a somewhat
unfolded whitish cloth in her hands, Noah announced, "So my
queen got this already and cleaned for you!" then handed it to
Zack.

Zack finished unfolding
the cloth, and felt his fingers press into the cloth almost like
jelly, as he took a close look and noticed some faint marks, then
with a strange, smirky smile, commented, "So she got this
cleaned, huh?"

"Yup,” Noah
continued to smile as she answered Zack.

Luke looked over at the
cloth Zack was holding and thought, ‘It seems different now, is
it because of the hallway lights?’ Then quickly asked Noah,
"Then why’s there still things on it?”

“Where, what are?”
Zack started as he tried to figure out what Noah was looking at,
‘Maybe that person unlocking the broom closet?’ then asked
her, “You didn't check it out before?”

“No,” Noah started,
"We can’t have bad, wet smells in the house... And anyways,”
she looked at Zack and told him, “it’s yours."

Close by, they heard a
door open, Noah watched as someone entered a janitorial closet, then
smiled and said, "Let’s go in there."

“In the broom
closet?” Zack asked as they waited a moment for the janitor to come
back out, then Luke moved quickly to keep the broom closet door open
before the mechanism locked it closed.

“Well at least no one
will suspect we did anything…” Luke said as Zack took Noah inside
of the closet.

“Unless you count
making out!” Noah laughed, then hopped out of Zack’s hands and
added, “It's awful dark in here, but if this thing works right, it
won’t be for long!”

Luke turned on a light
and started to look around, as he the closet with next to no floor
space, then asked, “How are we gonna put it up? Guess we can hold
it up on the wall with a broomstick...”

“Or just hanging from
a shelf.” Zack suggested, then took a bottle of cleaner and, on a
shelf, laid one corner of the canvas.

Luke put another on
the opposite, and together they put 3 more and soon met in the middle
of the top edge of the cloth to let it hang down.

“Hmm, that looks
good,” Zack started as the group looked at the mostly blank cloth
and “touched” it with their hands, then asked, “but is it
really like Maki’s?”

“Doesn’t your hands
go through?” Noah started, then put her head into the cloth, looked
side to side and said “Yup, I’m not sure it’s just like hers
since I don't know what’s opposite of this wall, but.”

Zack looked inside of
the cloth and saw a plain office, then said, “It looks like
school,”

“Hmm,” Luke looked
at his watch and thought ‘There’s a good 15 minutes before
classes really start since we don’t really need to go to homeroom
and wait.’ he thought with a smirk, then as he picked up his foot
in front of the mostly white canvas, announced to Zack and Noah,
“Okay, I’ll go first.”

“Let’s hang it
here.” Zack suggested then put a jug of cleaner on one corner of
the cloth carefully so that it didn’t fall through.

Luke smirked and
said, “Okay, I’ll go first.”

And now→

“Ahhh!” Luke
screamed as he fell through and tried to catch himself on the back of
a chair that banged onto a desk.

"Are you okay?!"
Zack put his face into the cloth to watch Luke sprawling on the floor
and using a chair to try and climb up after a fall of about 5 feet,
then crawled down on his hands and knees carefully to look around the
mostly empty office room.

Zack sat down on the
edge of the cloth and dangled his feet, smiled and said, “Guess I’m
taller now, huh?”

‘Not, “Want
help?” Luke thought as he stood up and watched Noah leap
through the canvas.

Noah went onto Zack’s
shoulders then jumped onto the desk and said, “I don't know why we
didn’t see this desk…” then turned to look at Zack and said,
“Oh…”

As Luke helped Zack
down, he asked Noah, “Oh”, what?”

“So this is
definitely an office, so it might go right through.” Zack said as
Luke starred above Zack’s head with worry, and then added, “I
mean I think this would be an office building or something over
there.”

Zack pointed to the
single window in the corner of the whitewashed office then as he
leaned against the desk with his hand on his cheek added, “And look
at these walls, no wonder it looked like that…”

Zack turned around to
look at the canvas that they went through, and seeing a abstract
painting of animals, tilted his head to listen as Luke told him, "You
know how when we found this it was painted white?"

"Yah..." Zack
started, smiled obliviously as he studied the abstract painting and
thought, ‘It’s kinda interesting to have a different painting
on both sides.’

"Well.” Luke
started aggressively, “This isn't white.” then touching the
painting and rubbing his hand against it shouted, “It's a abstract
painting!"

"What?!?” Zack
stood up in a panic, then realizing what was going on, added in a
panic, “How are we gonna get to class?!!?"

“Hmm.” Noah smiled
as she watched them sitting on the desk and dangling her legs, then
hopped onto Luke's shoulder’s to feel the painting, “Hmmm!"

“Where…” Zack
looked around the mostly empty, plain office where there was at a
desk with two chairs, a spider plant on top of the filing cabinet,
and a door with a window, “Are we? Aren’t we over there?”

“Yeah,” Noah
answered as she walked onto the desk, “we’re in the other side
alright.” then pointed to a paper, smiled and said, ”Something to
do with animamals.”

“Really?” Luke
asked Noah, “You can read?”

“A little.” Noah
admitted, “I’m FROM here you know, only a few seasons though, so
I don't have much experience, but.” Noah took a breath, then looked
around, and when she saw Zack reaching for the door said, “It’s
pretty safe.”

“It better be,”
Luke looked at Noah, then walked around the desk and murmured, “you
led us here, we were going to have a nice normal Thursday with
something interesting to study and then you said, “Let’s check it
out.”

“Hey!”

“What?” Luke asked
Noah as she jumped onto the chair causing it to roll to the filing
cabinet.

After Zack realized the
door was locked and couldn’t open it, he slowly walked to the
window to look out and seeing a fenced in field and a small flower
garden, said, “Maki said there were other ways out right? “These
mirrors are everywhere.” or something like that.”

“But we don't even
know where we are…” Luke started as he tried to figure out how to
open the locked door, then looked out the window and thought, ‘An
empty walkway and an empty grass, with an empty forest.’

“The door don't even
work for you!?” Zack exclaimed after Luke tried to open it a few
different ways, and thought, ‘We won’t be in school, we’ll
be absent, teachers will call them, we’ll get lost here like Uncle
Jack we’ll-’ then shook his head and asked, “How do you
even get out of here?”

"Keep calm and
pray for an answer.” Luke said, then took a breath and trying to
figure out how to open the window or if he should break it open,
added, “Right? The door’s locked from the outside, and this is
the only window…” Luke looked past the pathways at tall fences
and feeling trapped, said, “But those fences,”

Luke went over to Noah
who was trying to open the desk drawers and told her, “But you’re
right, this place looks like a Zoo or something.”

“Yup,” Noah smiled
and pointed toward a paper left on the desk at some symbols, adding,
“That’s the word for cat, and other animal’s. “Living,
creature, “Kyat”

“That’s a lot of
writing for the word cat…” Luke said,

“Not really...”
Noah insisted, “There’s only 3 symbols and “Cat”’s spelled
with 3 letters, so it’s not a lot of writing! It’s just I’m not
used to it is all!”

As Luke pretended to
listen to Noah, he watched Zack sit down and remembered that, ‘Zack’s
sometimes prepared for various things, or at least he has odd junk in
his pockets.’ then asked him, “Do you have anything in your
pocket that might help open it?”

“No…” Zack
started as he emptied his pockets, to see a Markie, two elastic
bands, eraser, paper clip, semi-used tissue and his phone, then
looked at his phone and added, “And the phones are dead too!!! I
have nothing but school junk.” then watching the hands on the wall
clock move sadly added, “And the clocks moving…”

“Let’s check the
drawers.” Luke said as he went in front of the desk to help Noah
open them up.

Zack reluctantly
followed Luke to help open the heavy drawers and starting to feel
really upset, tried to hold it back by saying more calm then it felt,
"We have got to get out of here.” then started to mess up the
contents of the drawers various papers and booklets to ‘find
some tool of some kind...’ and added, “And find a key.”

‘Out of 8 drawers,
there’s paper, nothing, and paint…’ Zack thought nervously
as he stared at the last drawer on the bottom left with brushes, and
small jars of different colors, then whined and exclaimed, “Nothing
but paint!”

"Paint?” Noah
asked excitedly as she hopped down from the chair to examine the
things that Luke was pulling out.

“Yeah…” Zack
answered with a sniff, “Just some ink bottles, pens and brushes…”
then got up and walked away, wondering if he should throw a jar at
the window and break it, explained to himself, “Someone’s
probably into calligraphy… Writing letters… And other stuff that
a Zoo does…”

Noah looked closely at
the bottles to look at them, then moved one away from the shadow of
the desk and explained, “My teacher told me about these metallic
paints.” then tried to open the lid with both paws, smiled and
added, “Maybe that how we can get out.”

Noah gave up and held
the little jar up to Luke to ask, “Open this one for me okay.”

“Alright,” Luke
opened the jar that Noah handed him, then starting fishing for a
brush as she put her paw inside and asked, “What are you going to
do?”

“You’re using your
nice suit!” Zack exclaimed as he watched Noah put a paw in the jar,
then slowly added, "All painty...”

“I’m Noah,” Noah
smiled as she told Zack, “A rainbow remember!” then hopped up
onto the chair and swiped paint onto on the canvas, then looked at
it, blew out her cheeks and as Luke picked up the jars to put them on
the desk, exclaimed, “Well!”

“What are you doing?”
Zack asked.

“Trying to paint our
way out!” Noah exclaimed, “My teacher had things like this,
painting doorways. And this one obviously isn't it!.”

“No it isn’t.”
Luke said as he looked at the paint that Noah had swiped onto the
canvas to see what looked like a windowsill, then began to open
another jar.

“Well,” Noah looked
at Zack and Luke and told them, “open another.”

Zack went over and
placed a brush into the jar, then closed the used jar and as he put
it back in the drawer, thought, ‘Well you obviously know what
you’re doing..?’ then went back to watch Noah paint over the
same paint she painted and asked her, “What is that?”

As the paint dried,
green grass shone on this one with little blue flowers that dotting
the splat. Noah sighed and said, "It’s something we learned
about, “Washing places with new paint.” so we wouldn't get
lost... “

“Sammy carries a vial
of our closet’s mirror,” Noah told them, “and it’s a good
thing that Jack knows so much,” then looked up at Zack from the
desk and told him, “and it’s so convenient too, that your his
nephew!"

‘This is too thin
to be paint… It dries too quickly too...’ Luke thought as he
stared at Noah’s messy job of “washing” the canvas and
overlapping parts of the windowsill and flowery field that she had
previously painted, with more of the pretty field, then told her,
"Okay, but that still isn’t the closet..."

Noah opened her mouth
for a moment as if trying to pick another jar, and eventually said,
"Okay." Then pointed to another jar for Luke to open and
Zack helpfully put a brush inside.

Luke picked up Noah who
scribbled on the canvas, and as it started to dry, slowly morphed
into a scene of a kitchen with a forest in its window that held two
different reflections; one of them a sink, and the other one showed a
bright wallpapered wall.

As the minutes wore by
Zack started becoming upset again and yelled, "One of these has
to be to our closet!!!” then mumblely asked, “Right..."

"Here." Luke
opened another jar of paint for Noah.

As Zack sits quietly on
the desk and looks at the clock to guestimate that it was past 10 Am,
Noah paints a little spot on the canvas, that when dried showed what
looked like a dimly lit room.

Becoming quietly
excited, Noah quickly dips her paws into the jar one by one and
paints over the rest of the abstract canvas to reveal a dark door
with the dimly lit shelves of a dark broom closet.

"There it is!”
Luke exclaims as he accidently presses Noah’s nose on the inside
edge of the canvas.

Zack and Luke watch
with smiles as Noah finishes “washing” or filling in the spots of
the repainted canvas with her paws, then carefully pokes her head
inside, and takes it back out to smile at Zack and Luke and ask, “You
ready?”

Zack hopped off the
desk and climbed onto the chair, then reached into the painting and
using the edge of something hard, pulled himself through the painting
and into the dark closet whose light had been turned off.

Zack sighed with happy
relief when he sat down on the closet floor so Luke could climb in
last, “So we’re finally back at school.” then started to breath
easily as he remembered that they had the lights on and only seeing
only little cracks of light through the door cracks, chuckled and
asked, “And who turned off the light?”

Luke turned back into
the office room that they were stuck in to take down the canvas and
angrily asked, "Who had that empty locked wretched room
anyways?!" then looked for the light switch so he could find the
canvas, take it down and bury it.’

"Some are like
that,” Noah answered as Luke felt around, “it’s safer like
that, especially if you live in a public place or don't want them to
see you..."

“Who?” Zack started
as he turned on his phone to see that service was available, then
opened the door to let in light and gasped, “OhMiGah”

Luke stared at a closet
mirror that the light had seemingly turned the canvas into as Noah
looked out the door and didn’t know what to think as they walked
quietly out of the closet and into a strange house.

*****

“As
we stand right here, praying it will reappear, soon things will be
okay. Soon everything will be ok.”

Chapter
16; “Getting back to school in time!”

‘You were wrong
Noah, we were all wrong,’ Luke sighed as he walked out of the
closet and looked for a window, ‘at least were probably home, at
least, maybe we would have been better in there if we’re not in
Portland…’

“As
we stand right here, praying this will disappear, things won’t be
okay. Will no one ever say…”

“Frankly,
this stinks.”

“It
does Pookie? I thought it was a fairly pleasant day,”

←Previously
on Zack, Luke and the home away from home.

Thinking that Zack
Luke and Noah are back in the first floor janitorial closet at
school, they open the door with smiles, then as they walk through the
closet door...

The windows and
furniture show it being some residential apartment building…

And Now→

"This isn’t
school!" Zack yelled in a hush, then started to breath heavily
and slowly made his way to the light source- (window.)

"I know,” Luke
started as he followed Zack to the window “it’s some apartment.”

“Bu’ my phone
works..." Zack said as he held it up and tried to be hopeful,
then opened “Maps” and waited for it to load and find a location.

Luke looked outside at
a generic cityscape, a few apartment buildings, cars and a badly
cared for street and asked, “Is this even Portland?”

“It’s working.”
Zack said as he pressed the locator icon, and soon smiling at Luke
added, “There’s a signal."

Zack watched the map
Zoom in on where the map thought they were located, then zoomed out a
little so he could see which part of the world he was in, and smiled
as the word “Portland” appeared on the screen. “It is!” He
announced, “And were even close to the school.”

“How close?” Luke
turned to look at Zack.

“About 4 miles.”

Luke took a big slow
breath, then let it out and said. “Well that’s just fine, isn't
it.” then glanced at his watch to see *8:45 AM” and as he walked
around the apartment, tried to figure ‘How long it would take to
walk, and when does the bus schedule come to this part of town where
ever THAT is...’

He took out his phone
to navigate the distance, then smiled at Zack, “Only 8:30, that’s
good right?”

*Snap* Zack’s
phone said as he took a picture of the window, then walked all over
the flat to take more pictures.

”So then,” Noah
started to say, “we’re only a few miles from your neighborhood
school, so who should I call?"

“So you actually
think we can get out of this one?” Luke asked Noah, ‘Without
raising too much suspicion of wherever we went?’

“If we can’t,”
Zack called from the closet as he took pictures around the house
where a strange man who has a mirror in his closet that goes to that
zoo! Lives, added “We’ll just go through the window, and say
someone kidnapped us.”

“No…” Luke sighed
while looking around and wondering the best way to get back was
mumbled, “No…”

As Luke stopped in
front of the door and hesitated unlocking it, he watched Zack and
Noah’s reflections moving around in the mirror hanging on the wall,
and thought, ‘Photographing this whole mysterious Zoo Keepers
Lair.’

“Hmmm-” Luke
started to notice something strange about edges of the mirror as Noah
came closer, “What is that?” ‘Like Zack’s “clipping”,
reflecting on itself.’ and asked her, "What is that? Is
there’s like another mirror on top of it or something?” and
studying the edges, suggested, “Maybe like two or three layers of
glass..."

Noah looked closely at
the edges of the thick wall mirror and said “I've seen things like
that, people try to hide the fact that they have something, or it’s
a spy you know.”

“You mean this might
be one of his hideouts?” Luke started in panic, “Our stalker!?”

“Or maybe it’s just
had photos in it at one time.” Zack murmured to himself as he came
toward the wall mirror, and then snapped a photo.

“Why not,” Noah
stood in front of Luke, then smiled, “this way, since he’s not
here, you can spy on him.”

Zack looked at the
clock, then opened some locks and said “Hey~ Then so how are we
gonna get back? It’s already almost 10!”

‘10? It’s not
even 9 yet…’ Luke thought as he watched Zack peer through the
door,

‘And sent us the
canvas in the first place…’ Luke thought as he glared at
Noah, ‘But that was your fault.’ and said, “Okay.”
then swiped up and down in his phone’s contacts to look for
“Anna’s” or “Joy’s aunt” or somebody!’ and said "Well,
who wouldn't get us in trouble? Because as I see it, it might be
better to just walk to school, it's only a few miles."

Noah unvelcro’s a
pocket, pulled out a long tag and explained, “Anna sewed her
business card in here for me!”

Zack started dialing
the number on Noah’s tag and as he hit the *CALL* button,
said.“I got it!” then Annabella’s phone started ringing.

“It’s a good thing
you took some pictures,” Luke told Zack as he breathed heavily
while looking around the room and thinking about they’re stalker,
the top hat man. “because if this is our stalkers hideout,” he
looked at the mirror and finished, “I want to know as much as
possible about him!”

As Anna said “Hello?”
over the speakerphone, Luke came back over to listen.

"Hello,” Zack
started, “Annabella? This is Zack, I’m with Noah,”

“Okay!”

“She thought you
might help us get back home…” Zack continued, “We got into a
mess... And now we’re on,”

“Lincoln Oak Street.”
Noah said over the speakerphone.

“Do you think you can
help us?” Zack asked Annabella.

"Oh. Of course
I’ll help you in any way that I can, dear.”

Noah came really close
to the phone to yell to Annabella, ”We need to go take my
friends back to school before they get into real troubles!!!"

“...Ok, absolutely.”
Annabella answered.

Luke took Zack’s
phone and looked for the “Send location” button, then told
Annabella, “I’m going to send you our address now.”

Soon Annabella said,
"Hmm, It looks like your right in there, hopefully be there in
10 minutes, okay. Bless you all." Then they heard her move and
she hung up.

***

“You get the pictures
you wanted?” Noah asked as Zack led them casually down the
apartment house steps.

“Why didn't we go the
back way?” Luke asked being afraid that someone might stop 3
minors not being in school… ‘3?’

“I still wonder what
that mirror is…” Luke said as they started down the next flight
of stairs.

“Yeah, it's like…”
Noah started to answer, but as if she was getting tired, finished,
“But Queen Annabella can tell you soon.”

“What are we gonna
tell her?” Zack murmured as he saw the outside door, “We fell
into a cloth mirror and wound up here?”

“You can,” Noah
said as she climbed from the railing and into Luke's arms and looked
face to face with Zack, “or you don't have to tell her anything.
I’m sure that she doesn't feel obligated to know, but she might be
able to help us or know what to do with the cloth if nobodies stoled
it yet!”

As Zack walked into the
entrance room, he started to hear familiar sounds and with a sudden
idea, asked, "So you think this is maybe that criminal man in
the top hat who at least attacked that other person is somehow
smuggling plushies that live into this world. And if this is just
another one of his criminal smuggling houses." then after
opening the outside door, adds, “Huh?”

Luke sat down on the
front steps and as he was trying to be inconspicuous, asked, "So
we’re waiting for your aunt?"

"Okay…” Luke
sighed, then rolled his eyes and as a car turned down the street,
annoydently asked, “So you’re great Annabella doesn't even have a
car but she'll pick us up?"

As a striped silver
crossover slowed down nearby, Noah smiled and said, “See!” then
the window rolled down and waving, she called, “Hi!”

“Hi,” Annabella
said, then asked slowly, “Need a ride?”

“Hi, and thank you,
so very much,” Zack greets them as he opens the back passenger
door.

Luke picked up Noah,
and as he walked around the car, looked at all the paint on her body
and wondered if any rubbed off anywhere… then huddles into the back
seat, buckles up and thinks, ‘And her cars all clean too…
Because of our stupid mistake…’

“Yes,” Noah smiles
in the rearview mirror as Jossiline shifts into gear, “I knew you
would come through.” then Annabella turns her head to smile in the
back seat as Noah tugs at her skin and asked her, “I wonder if you
can help me clean this my Queen.”

As they turned onto a
busier street, Luke thought, ‘I wonder if the paint would make
anything go to that room again…’

“Yes of course.”
Annabella answered Noah with a smile, then with a sigh, sat back in
her seat while the car stopped for a red light.

“W-ell, don't worry,”
Jossiline then shifts gears to turn into traffic and assured them,
“we won’t tell anyone where you were found."

Annabella looks back at
Zack and Luke and tells them, "You know Celeste Stone right.
Well she's my best friend. That’s why I went to school yesterday,
she helped us a lot…”

“Sure does.”

“And that's the only
reason why I agreed to go to school and introduce myself there…”
Annabella then sat back down and stayed silent for a couple moments
as the car slowed down for a red light.

“Because of her.
And... Well…” Annabella put on a smile as she turned to look at
Zack, Luke and Noah, then finished by saying, “She takes care of my
little girl, so know that any house of hers is a safe place indeed."

When Jossiline turned
onto the street of their school, Annabella murmured, "“Hmm, I
didn't get to see her though.”

"Yup, Hikari, she
was great friend with your daughter, “ Annabella quietly told
Jossiline, then glanced at her as they pulled into the school’s
parking lot, and informed her passengers, “Celest brought her
here,..”

Jossiline stopped the
car in an empty parking space, then after Noah, Zack and Luke
unbuckled their seatbelts, Zack saw Annabella look out the front
window and say, “Kiera came here too, we're all great friends."

"Then Kiera
graduated,” Annabella said as Zack and Luke opened the back doors
and Noah climbed in front to give Annabella and Jossiline a hug,
“that's crystals.” She rolled down her window and asked Zack,
“Kiera's girlfriend still works in your library? Right?”

Luke looked at Zack and
thought ‘Is your aunt okay?’

“Ahh.” Zack said
startled, because ‘I didn't know who, weren't you Just talking
to yourself?’ and answered "Yess" hoping that he
wasn’t lying, ‘I don’t even know what she was talking
about...’

“Hmm.” Annabella
started with a smile, "Maybe I'll visit.”

"It'd be good for
you to see your best friend Anna!" Jossiline told Annabella.

‘Didn't you see
her yesterday?’ Luke thought as he started to walk toward the
door, ‘No… No, it’s just been a long day…’

“You know,” Noah
smiled at Jossiline and Annabella as she climbed out of the window
and added, “I've been seeing your Key a lot lately, and hopefully
we can help find the door as soon much as possible.”

‘What?’ Zack
heard Noah and thought as he felt her climb onto his shoulders and
said, "Thank you for the ride.”

"Maybe they won't
know that you're been gone." Jossiline softly smirked at Zack,
Noah and Luke, then started the car.

*****

Chapter
17, “Retrieving the canvas.”

←Previously
on The mysteries of Zack and Luke.

Jossiline smiled
with a smirk and said, “Maybe they don't even know you’ve been
gone.”

and Now→

Days
are fun, and when the sun pours down on them, it has begun!

“Pookbear, where’d you go?”

“Home…
And back again!”

“We’ll walk quietly
down the hallway... Retrieve that thing...” Luke whispered as he
opened the door, then added “And bury it!”

“Yeah,” Noah
whispered excitingly, “need to get rid of the evidence.”

“Yeah, especially
before anyone accidently touches that cursed garment!” Luke
whispered as they saw the broom closet down the hall.

When Noah, Luke and
Zack walk down the hallway and close in to the broom closet, Zack
tries to be quiet by tiptoeing through the empty hallway, but hearing
the *TAPs* and *SQUEALs*, realizes, ‘I’m still
making a lot more noise than Noah ever would...’ then looked at
his shoes and thought, ‘I should’ve just taken my shoes off.’

“You can open the
closet door for me alright,” Noah said as they were a few yard away
from the closet door, “I’ll get the canvas and meet you
somewhere, okay.”

“Okay.” Luke said
with his eyes focused on the closet door, hoping, praying that the
canvas was still in there, but being slightly afraid that the janitor
came back and got sucked inside. Luke hesitated, while wondering
if he was going to look inside, then held his hand out and as he
hesitated to touch the handle, held his breath.

*

“As I prepared to…”
Noah started to tell Luke at home that afternoon, “Go inside to
retrieve your canvas, I smiled, watching you go, hoping you wouldn't
get into any trouble because of me.”

“Cool,” Luke said
with his hand on the doorknob, then smiled at Noah, opened the door a
crack, and told her, “alright,” and waved, “See you soon!”

“As The door creaked
open,” Noah continued, “ I was prepared to rip down the canvas,
make a racket, probably get myself squished with heavy bottles and
maybe even cleaned with cleaner, then carefully fold it up and hide
it away.

“I waved with a fake
smile, as you guys left, then left the door open because I couldn’t
reach the light switch, and went inside the dimly lit broom closet!”
Noah looked frantic as she exclaimed, “I looked all around, pulled
things down, made a mess but..! Couldn’t find it anywhere!!!”

“There were footsteps
outside and I wondered, “Who’s there,” then slipped down to
look under the door and suspiciously watched a stranger talking with
some student.”

‘He certainly
looks suspicious,’ I thought, ‘He’s not wearing a suit
like a teacher, and…’ Then I saw him give the kid a lunch
bag, a hug and… Oh well, he’s just a parent. It’s probably a
good thing he wasn’t your stalker, huh?”

“Yes it is. Luke
answered Noah, and thought, ‘God, I hope that he isn't our
stalker.’

“Soon after the kid
went skipping away, the man turned around, then squished me with the
door and seeing me there asked, "What are you doing
here?"Someone must have left you Hmm?”

Noah then opened and
closed her mouth and tried to be still as she said, “I knew I had
to be still like a doll when he picked me up, but… It was SO
hard..!”

“Hmm, you’re all
painted up!” he then smiled at me as if he knew that I wasn't JUST
a doll…. I started to really think he might have been your stalker
or something now…”

Luke stopped his breath
when he heard Noah, ‘But’ he told Noah, “A lot of adults
act like that.”

Luke tried not to think
as Noah told him, “He smiled again and said, “Well I’m sure
whoever you belong to will wash you up when you two get home!” then
we walked into an office and told me, “Well, here it is, lost and
found,” and pushed me down against the desk.” then looked down,
and added, “I really, really tried to go limp. But... I sat. I
don't remember if that’s normal or not, but I don't think it is.
And when he asked the lady, “Can you please make sure this sweaty
gets home?”

She said, “Sure!”
and told me his name. Bimisteroso,” Noah shook her head, “I don't
think that’s his name though,” Noah waved, “because “Bye-Bye”,
you know… But, anyways, the lady turned me around to look at her
and I saw that her name was Mrs. Peters and she was kinda nice
though, even though her name is Mrs... Well, she gave me a smile and
said. “We’ll make sure you get home soon, okay.”

“Bimisteroso
apparently wasn't out of the room thought, because he said, “Thank
you…” so I tried to watch inconspicuously out of the sides of my
eyes, which isn't that difficult with eyes like these!”

Noah showed Luke her
eyes that were big round irises with no white but some brown specials
that Luke wondered ’Are they just decorative..?’ as she
told him, “And I wondered if Misteroso was looking at me and
studying where I was or just looking for something he lost until Mrs.
Peters, I don’t know if she’s a bad teacher or not but it was
kind of creepy when she twisted my arms like-” Noah moved her arms
around, then admitted, ”Snow and Mom does that too sometimes, but,
it’s SPECIAL for them, it was creepy for her.”

“Well anyways,”
Noah sat back down, sighed and added, “What a, a very well built
bear I am.” I guess she didn't know that I am hand sewn because she
didn’t think they made jointed bears anymore or something.” Noah
then opened her eyes, patted her joints and informed Luke, “But
they do! It was very expensive for Zack’s dad to put these on me.”

“Zack’s dad?”
Luke mumbled as Noah continued, “Then she took me and put me on a
lost and found shelf, I would have stayed there but I didn't want
anyone to find that Zoo poopey cloth and get into an adventure. “
then smiled at Luke, “I wanted only you guys to get into trouble!”

‘He helped make
you..?’ “Wait,” Luke realized what Noah said, “Why do you
want us to get into trouble??”

“Well because,”
Noah smiled with a tilt of her head, “You’re special.”

Luke tried not to think
about it as Noah told him, “And then as I looked around up there on
the shelf, Mrs. Peter took her lunch and went in the other room.”
Noah breathed a sigh of relief, “Then she came back!”

She put me on a better
shelf, looked at me and thought I was something called a
“Color-Me-Bear”? That they have in the arts?” then asked Luke,
“Do you paint bears in art class here or something?”

“So I stiffened up,
scared to life! And Mrs. Peter picked up a little toy dinosaur and
blamed the shelves.” Noah sighed, “Honestly Luke, I think I’m
playing “Gaslight!”

“Well anyways, whiled
I waited for a whiles I saws peoples come in and outs, and I rea~lly
just wanted to look around and see if your canvas was here.” Noah
nodded her head and explained, “Make sure that nobodies didn't fall
in you know. Well I looked with my eyes as I waited FOREVER for Mrs.
to get up again.”

‘Well, number 1! I
certainly didn't want to be "found,” I thought,” Noah
started to close her eyes and yawn as she slurred, “‘And anyways,
maybe the canvas was around there and it was really a good blessing
that Bioso brought me here… I really needed Mrs. Peters to go away
though… Because,” Noah looked around, and exclaimed, ”it was SO
BORING! I MEAN, When is she going to go away for more than a...
Second?!'

“Fi~nally she yawned,
took her coffee cup and left,” Noah nodded, “I counted to make
sure, “Okay,” So I hopped down off of the shelf and thought that
Mrs. was right in thinking that it wasn't me who dropped the
dinosaur, I mean, I don’t weigh much and nothing fell, So maybe it
wasn't the shelf either.” Noah sighed, “Then something dropped on
my head…”

“But anyway…”
Noah started to tell Luke, “I started scurrying looking up and
around the shelves, climbing on the desk and hopping up and into
boxes, making a mess by throwing stuff around,” Noah patted her
paws around as if to say “that kind of stuff.” “Soon I spotted
a bundled up cloth that had looked the same and smiled a sigh of
RELIEF! “Ahh, I knew it had to be here. Unless we were really-”

“What are you doing
down there sweetie?” Mrs. asked me and very indulgently* picked me
up.” then Noah mocked her voice, “I guess you didn’t like it up
there? I thought it’d be better to get a good view of everyone
coming in and out, but...” She suspected me again I know, but then
again, what’s wrong with that?” Noah laughed, “I might be a
robot.”

“I” Luke started to
say as he thought, ‘I used to think you were a robot, now I’m
not sure… You said you have robotic arms… But are you a robot?’
Luke thought of “*Futurama” and thought… About
everything then smiled and told Noah,” You’re not a robot.”

Noah laughed and told
Luke, “No I’m NOT, I’m just a weird looking teenage girl..!”
She smiled and continued, “Oh well, it was better this way because
Mrs. put me on the desk, where there was the most wonderful things in
the world… Markers!””

“Well,” Mrs. smiled
at me, “now you can watch me work.” Noah looked at Luke and told
him, “Now I gotta tell you something, watching the clock is more
exciting than watching her type... Click the mouse... Stare at a
screen, type, move the mouse… After like 10 hours of that I was
just going,” Noah moved her head in jerky succession, slowly
becoming rapid to the beat of “Tic tock, tic tock”

Tick
tock tick tock

My head
against the clock clock

When
the clock strikes noon tock

Will
they come for me soon clock

Tic toc
tic tock

My head
against the clock, clock

I think
I’m going to stop stop

And run
my head against the desk top

Tick
tock tic tock

Or
maybe just scream!

***

*BRRRRRIIIIIIIINNNNNNNGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!*
the lunch bell sounded throughout the school as Zack and Luke
walked down to the front office to attempt to explain why they were
late.

“You got your story
straight right,” Luke asked as they hurried down the hall. he
knew they weren’t that late, but missing 2 and a half periods
without an excuse, that could call their parents, who knows in a
small school like this.’

“HA-HA…” Zack
started to laugh, “Haa, I’ll just wing it. anyways, You talk and
I’ll be hurt, and hope they didn’t call our parents.” then they
opened the door as they heard a voice whisper and someone typing on a
keyboard.

Noah stared at Mrs
Peters in front of her and dared to whisper, “What can I do... I’ll
write they’re names on the cloth as soon as she leaves...but,”
she dared to rest her head against the mug and said, “Not on me
though, for I already have a nametag, “Noah lives with Snow:)”
then as the door opened, blew a raspberry toward receptionist and
mumbled, “When I get a chance...”

“Hi there” Zack
said to Mrs Peters soon after the lunch bell rang and as most of the
kids were going into the cafeteria for lunch, then noticed Noah and
told Luke, “Oh look, Noah!”

Zack turned Noah around
and whispered to her, “Why are you there? Did you find it?” and
seeing that she looked blankly at him, sat down on the chair in front
of the desk and watched her try to tell him something.

Luke started to think
of an excuse for ‘Why we didn't show up for first period…’
Then started to sit down as he watched Zack try to talk with Noah
and added, ‘Or most of second period.’

Mrs Peters smiled at
Luke soon after he sat down and asked, “So what can I do for you
today?”

“So we’ve come to
report where we were,” Luke told Mrs. Peters, “My bike fell into
a ditch and I fell down with it on top of me, Zack stayed with me and
together we tried to get it out, then I went back home to change my
clothes and get washed up because I only live a few minutes away, and
that’s why we’re late.”

“Okay.” Mrs Peters
said slowly, then asked Luke, “Are you alright now? I hope you
didn't get hurt too bad.”

“Yeah, just a little
bruising, I haven't checked out the bike yet though.”

Mrs Peters nodded,
“Well, I suggest you see the nurse soon and you might bring the
bicycle into the shop, Mr Hopscotch loves to teach students with
those sort of cases.”

“Yeah.”

Mrs. Peters checked her
computer and said, "Anyways, I haven’t had any reports about
you two not showing up or-…” then seeing a small post-it note
under her keyboard, changed her tone and told them, “Oh, that's
where you two were.”

“Sorry about any
missed classes.” Zack added quickly.

Mrs. Peters looked at
Zack and told him, “You were helping your friend, please don't
worry about it, anyways,” then propping her elbow up against cheek,
yawned and added, “That’s what the teachers are supposed to be
for, to help you.”

As Mrs. Peters got up
from her seat and went to the other room, Noah turned and hissed at
Luke.

“Noah?”

Noah moved her paw a
little, pointing toward a bundled up cloth resting inside of a
cardboard box and said, “Over there, I meant to put your names on
it.”

Luke went over toward
the cloth and Zack said “I have a Markie,” then he reached in his
pocket and handed it to Luke to write his name on the canvas.

As soon as Luke was
finished, Mrs Peters came back into the room, so Luke picked up the
canvas and said, "The bear, Noah and the Handkerchief are mine."

“Alrighty!” Mrs
Peters smiled and added "Noah seems appropriately named for such
a colorful bear.”

"I think so too."
Luke smiled back at Mrs Peters as Zack held Noah’s paw, then
tiredly picked her up and followed Luke out the door and waved,
“Thankyou.”

“Your two have a good
day, and a refreshing lunch!” Mrs Peters waved back as they went
out of the room.

“Hmm...” Luke
murmured as he, Zack and Noah walked down the hallway, "I wonder
who sent the note saying we'd be late?” then opened his locker and
added, “Anna said she knows Mrs. Stone quite well. But... “ and
thought, ‘What did it say?’

***

Hope
and sorrow go hand in hand like ripples in the waves, sometimes I
wonder if it’s true that Life really will be okay.

Chapter
18 “Soccer and Ice-cream Mysteries!”

“It
seems to me we can’t depend on ANYTHING!”

“We
can depend that the sun will come up.”

←
Previously on Zack and Luke’s wacky line and imaginations.

“We’ll find that
canvas… And bury it!” Luke exclaimed as he came near the closet
door.

“Why were we
supposedly gone?”

“I don’t know,
probably thought we had tutoring or something.”

And now→

“I heard you were
with Anna,” Angel said as Zack walk his bike up Zelda’s driveway
at 2:17PM that Thursday afternoon, dressed in his soccer clothes and
told him, “Somehow you put her in a good mood and she texted me.”

Zack stared at Angel
and wondered if it should bother him. Then shook his head as he
walked up the steps and wondered, ’What should bother me?’ “I
told her” Angel quoted to Zack, “I think he has a football game
today.” and she said, she’d like to come.”

“Okay…” Zack went
into the house, then thought of something, “Ahh… Is Zelda coming
too?”

Angel laughed and said,
“Good luck asking her, she didn't get any sleep last night.” then
asked Zack, “Who else is coming?” “Mom, stepdad and Joey.”
Zack said tiredly, “Coming” “Hmm,“ Angel closed the door
after she and Zack walked into the kitchen, “I bet Anna knows them
then, Jack said they used to be really close.”

“Really?” Zack
asked and tried to figure out how Anna would know his Mom or any of
his new family.

“Yeah,” Angel put
Zack’s shoes away, “together they found and got lost in the realm
of the fey.” then laughed and reminisced, “God, Mom even thought
she could fly, maybe she could but I doubt she was any good.”

‘Fly?’ Zack
thought and wondered ‘Does she mean a plane or something else.’

“Well, anyways, it
looks like your following in their footsteps.” Angel told Zack as
she made him some tea. “What do you mean?” “You even
like to wear strange costumes,” Angel answered Zack, “I’m
you'll do fine.” “What?” Zack asked with
confusion. “Hahaha” Angel laughed, “You'll find out.
Anyways, I Found your game times on the website anyways.”

As Zack walked down the
hallway in a daze, he saw Patrick coming downstairs and asked him,
”Where’s Maki anyways?” “She’s working.” Patrick
answered, “I guess they had a little break-in where she works
part-time and they are doing special training or something.” “...
Thank you.” Zack said tiredly, shallowly thought about the zoo,
‘Maki only ever mentioned volunteering at the pet rescue
center.’ then went into the living room to see Zelda sleeping
on the couch. and took the remote off the coffee table to turn on the
TV and rest in an easy chair.

“Hi sweetheart,”
Zelda smiled at Zack when cartoons started playing on the TV, “what
are you all dressed up for?”

“I got to go to a
game soon.” Zack answered Zelda as he came over toward the couch
to sit down with her.

“Alright…” Zelda
sat up with a smile towards Zack and said, “I love you.” then
gave him a hug.

Zelda went to the
bathroom and Zack closed his eyes, then heard the water run, and
listened to people talk as he wondered, ‘If they knew where we
went. Angel probably knows where I went, though Anna and Maki’s
aunt said they wouldn’t tell…’

***

“Hey!” Zack smiled
at Luke after the soccer game, “Did you see Annabella? Mom and even
Joey came too!”

After the soccer game
at around 4pm, Zack walked slowly to the sidelines and pointed out
his mom, stepdad and little brother to Luke who was very quiet and
said to him, “Did you see Annabella? My Mom and little brother came
too.”

Luke slowly walked
toward Zack and looked at Joey and a couple other kids, trying to
kick a small soccer ball with a truck rolling down a mound of dirt,
and then mumbled, “Mom talked to Kaitlin.”

A chill passed through
Zack, then he said, “Of course not. She’s not a Plushkin though.”

“No…” Luke said,
then looked back at the families enjoying themselves and told Zack,
“But the dead are rising like on “Home rising”

Zack looked over the
crowd at Annabella who smiled and waved at him, then suggested, “The
queen of the plushkins is here, so maybe she knows.”

After Zack and Luke
made it through the crowd at the sidelines, Annabella was gone, but
in her place was Maki who smiled and asked them, “So how’s
everything, did you get anywhere on your journal?”

‘Journal?’
Zack thought. and wondered ‘...If I even really want to remember
this day.’ “Yeah, I’ll work on it tonight.”

“Cool,” Maki smiled
and informed them, “I met Izzi’s sister on the way home and
thought, it's so nice she’s keeping an eye on you!”

“What do you mean?”
Zack wasn't sure if he thought or asked.

“You know, …”
Maki started, “That strange house I showed you the other night,
they’re ready for you guys to come over.”

“Come over?” Luke
asked slowly,

“Yeah, don't worry
though,” Maki replied, “I know you’ve had a busy day you two,
and I also know how much Zelda missed you.” then told Zack, “Zack,
you should spend tonight with her.”

Zack smiled tiredly and
thought, ‘Don't I always?’

“Maybe she’ll even
come sometime.” Maki smiled as she led them toward the parking lot,
“Probably not until this project is done though, it’s been taking
her forever.” Then looking at them curiously added, “And anyways,
you weren't at your best tonight. I wonder why that was?”

As Maki gave Zack and
Luke hugs, Zack wondered if ‘Someone told her? Or maybe we don’t
look as tired as we feel…’ then she walked away.

“I wonder if she
knows we out too...” Zack asked Luke as they walked to their
respective parents cars.

“If she does,” Luke
answered Zack tiredly and almost wished that Maki would be mad at
them, “she’s not saying it and taking it away from us…”

“No.” Zack replied
as they came closer to their parents talking.

“So you guys wanna
get ice-cream on the way home?” Zack’s mom asked with a smile and
told Zack, "Your brother has been doing really great today, and
even wanted to see you.”

“Sure.”

“It's great to see
you too, Luke,” Zack’s mom told Luke, then patted Joey’s head
and said, “I really want this little guy to have friends and not
feel like an only child you know.” then as Heather came over,
smiled at her and added, “Besides being lonely, both of us are busy
and honestly can’t pay as much attention as he needs like when Zack
was young, and Pat worked from home.”

Zack sighed, then
smiled at Luke and told him, “We’ll get ice-cream after soccer
and everything will go back to normal.” then walked toward
Patrick’s wagon, and received a text from Zelda.

Momma
Zelda

How
was your game?

Zack climbed into
Patrick’s green wagon, dialed Zelda’s number and put it on
speakerphone as he took off his shin guards.

“So how did my
favorite little prince do?” Zelda asked.

“Alright, I was a
little tired though,”

“Yeah?” Zelda
answered, “It’s been a busy week, hasn’t it.”

“Yeah, but things are
starting to go back to normal,” Zack told Zelda, “Were gonna go
out for ice-cream afterwards and I just hope that Joey really is
doing better.”

“What do you mean?”
Zelda asked, “I take it he doesn't do well in restaurants?”

Zack laughed, and then
asked Zelda, “Would you like some special when we get home?”

At 5pm, Zack came into
the living room to give Zelda a hug and heard the Stepmania machine
running

“I love you.” Zelda
told Zack, then asked, “So you wanna play a game? Get those creamy
calorie counts back up or back down or whatever?”

“I hope you didn’t
really mean it.” Patrick told Zelda as he came into the room
carrying a large transparent decorative glass bowl with 4 spoons, and
a funny looking castle built with towers of stacked cookie cones,
standing on top of Ice-cream with various layers of fruit and cereal
with worms crawling through.

“I love you.” Zelda
opened her arms with a smile as Patrick put down the special
ice-cream platter, then gave him a hug.

Zack relaxed as Patrick
had them say grace, then watched him turned on the TV and shuffle a
playlist of various shorts and cartoons.

“Hmm,” Zack started
to say as his family was relaxing in a normal and safe environment,
then asked Zelda, “Did Maki see you, she said the neighbors are
ready to meet me.”

“Really,” Zelda
said as she licked an ice-cream cone with a gummy worm sticking out.

“And that your
project is really taking your time.” Zack added.

Zelda smiled as she
licked her lips then said, “I’m almost ready for prototypes.”